Vol. 36, No. 100 / June 23, 2005

No injuries and limited damage: The word on the fire in student housing

No one was injured and damage was limited to one apartment in the building at 3312 Walter Way when a stove fire ignited there late Wednesday afternoon (June 22). None of the four apartment residents was at home at the time. "Everybody did a great job," says director of Residence Life Glenn Gray. A student maintenance worker saw smoke pouring from the apartment window, pulled the fire alarm, called 911 and alerted residence life staff. Housing and UW-Green By Public Safety staffs were first on the scene and found the apartment engulfed in black smoke rolling from the stove. By the time city firefighters arrived, Public Safety officers had pulled the stove out of the apartment and doused it with a fire extinguisher. No water was necessary. Gray says actual fire damage was limited to the stove and cabinets above it, but various nearby plastic materials melted and the entire apartment is heavily damaged by smoke. The adjustor estimated damage at $20,000 to $25,000. City fire officials who investigated attributed the fire to negligence. The apartment's residents have been relocated to another unit.

Gray praises alertness and correct procedures for good outcome

"If it hadn't been for alert students this would have been much worse," says Gray. As it was, a quick response prevented a more extensive fire. Gray credits everyone-starting with the students who first saw the smoke-with following the correct procedures in the proper order. Residents of the other apartments in the building were evacuated quickly, and Residence Life staff members who came armed with the building roster were able to account for everyone.

Olkowski gets $3,000 grant for project tackling student drinking/driving

Mark Olkowski in the Dean of Students Office at UW-Green Bay has received a $3,000 grant from the UW System in collaboration with the Department of Transportation that supported efforts to identify practices that lead or contribute to a culture of excessive drinking by students. He also anticipates receiving a follow-up grant for 2005-06 to support initiatives that address programmatic efforts to modify those practices.

Shorewood Golf Course's Peterson to call it quits

"As many of you know, Ken Peterson, our course superintendent, will be retiring on June 30 after 36 years of service to UWGB with the last 24 taking care of the golf course," writes Rich Warpinski. "Ken has done a phenomenal job in managing the grounds of the golf course." An outing and cookout at Shorewood is planned for Friday afternoon, July 1 (see next item). Those who can't attend are encouraged to take a moment to see or contact Ken and thank him for keeping the north side of campus looking lush and green every summer.

Now here's a fitting sendoff: Cookout and 'Golf with Ken and Friends'

"Cake and punch" is no way to go away for the man who has been keeping Shorewood Golf Course one of the area's most attractive layouts for a quarter century. Instead, retiring superintendent Ken Peterson will finally get to play a round as a private citizen, as guest of honor at a gathering organized by UW-Green Bay colleagues. All faculty and staff are invited. Details:

UW-Green Bay to host third annual watershed monitoring workshop

Science teachers from six area high schools will work with university researchers at the Lower Fox River Watershed Monitoring Program's third annual teacher workshop June 27-29. The workshop hosted by UW-Green Bay will provide teachers from Green Bay Southwest, Appleton East, Luxemburg-Casco, Green Bay Preble, Markesan and West De Pere high schools with hands-on training in techniques for monitoring water quality and stream habitat. For more, see http://www.uwgb.edu/univcomm/news/archive/2005june.htm#watershed

Editorial: Despite 'small blunders,' UW a huge asset

Madison's Wisconsin State Journal praised the University of Wisconsin System, mostly, in an editorial in today's newspaper, at http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/opinion/index.php?ntid=44553&ntpid=0

'UW patents among most lucrative'

In a timely bit of coverage, the Wisconsin State Journal points out the positive research and economic impact of the UW. See http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/biz/index.php?ntid=44543&ntpid=2

'Update: 'State budget passage not certain in Senate'

The Wisconsin Senate will take up the proposed 2005-07 state budget next week in Madison. On Wednesday, the Assembly passed a version that was essentially identical to that endorsed early by the Joint Finance Committee, including the level of cuts prescribed for the UW System. For more, see http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/index.php?ntid=44557&ntpid=2

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